Pool Heater Installation Cost in Murphy, TX — Gas vs Heat Pump
Thinking about adding a heater to your Murphy pool? Gas heats fast, heat pumps cost less to run. Here's the real cost comparison for both.
Your Murphy pool is comfortable from June through August. No argument there. But the 10 weekends in April-May and September-October when the water is 68-75°F? Those are either off-limits or unpleasant without a heater — and that's roughly 20 weekends of potential pool use that most Murphy homeowners are leaving on the table.
Adding a heater extends your swim season from 4-5 months to 7-8 months — from mid-March through late October in most years, with occasional comfortable days in November. For families in Maxwell Creek, Mustang Park, and Murphy Heights who invested $50,000+ in a pool, getting 60% more use out of it for the cost of a heater is one of the highest-value pool upgrades available.
The decision comes down to two technologies: gas heaters (natural gas or propane) and electric heat pumps. They work differently, cost differently to install, cost differently to operate, and perform differently in North Texas weather. Here's the complete comparison.
Gas Heaters
How They Work
A gas pool heater burns natural gas (or propane) in a combustion chamber. The heat transfers to pool water flowing through a heat exchanger. The heated water returns to the pool.
Gas heaters heat water fast — a quality unit can raise the temperature of a 15,000-gallon pool by 1-2°F per hour. If it's Saturday morning and you want the pool at 85°F for an afternoon party, a gas heater gets you there in 3-5 hours from a starting temperature of 72°F.
Installation Cost
Heater unit: $1,500-3,500 depending on BTU rating and brand.
| BTU Rating | Pool Size | Unit Cost |
|---|---|---|
| 200,000 BTU | Up to 15,000 gal | $1,500-2,200 |
| 300,000 BTU | Up to 20,000 gal | $2,000-2,800 |
| 400,000 BTU | Up to 30,000 gal | $2,500-3,500 |
For most Murphy pools (12,000-18,000 gallons), a 200,000-300,000 BTU unit is appropriate.
Installation labor and materials: $500-1,500. This includes plumbing the heater into the return line (after the filter, before the returns), connecting the gas line, and electrical wiring for the ignition system and controls.
Gas line extension: If your pool equipment pad doesn't have an existing gas line, running a new line from the meter to the pad adds $500-2,000 depending on distance and whether the line is trenched underground or run along the house exterior. Many Murphy homes built with pools already have a gas stub-out at the equipment pad — check before assuming you need a new line.
Total gas heater installation: $2,500-7,000 depending on heater size, gas line needs, and installation complexity.
Operating Cost
Gas heaters consume fuel proportionally to how long they run. For a 200,000 BTU heater running on natural gas at current Atmos Energy residential rates in the Murphy area:
- Cost per hour of operation: approximately $3-5/hour
- Cost to heat a 15,000-gallon pool from 70°F to 85°F: approximately $30-60 (6-10 hours of heating)
Monthly operating cost depends entirely on usage. Heating the pool for weekend use only (Friday evening through Sunday): roughly $80-150/month during spring and fall shoulder seasons. Maintaining a constant 85°F all week: $300-600/month — significantly more expensive.
Gas heaters are most cost-effective when used on demand — fire it up Friday afternoon, enjoy the pool Saturday and Sunday, turn it off Monday. They're expensive to run continuously because they consume fuel at a constant rate regardless of ambient temperature.
Pros and Cons for Murphy
Pros:
- Fastest heating — pool is ready in hours, not days
- Works in any weather, any temperature — gas combustion is independent of air temperature
- Ideal for on-demand heating (weekends, parties, specific events)
- Lower installation cost than heat pumps
Cons:
- Highest operating cost per hour
- Expensive to maintain constant temperature
- Combustion byproducts — CO2, water vapor, and small amounts of NOx
- Requires gas line infrastructure
- Heat exchanger susceptible to scaling in Murphy's hard water
Electric Heat Pumps
How They Work
A heat pump doesn't generate heat — it transfers heat from the surrounding air to the pool water. It works like an air conditioner in reverse: a compressor circulates refrigerant through an evaporator coil that absorbs heat from the outdoor air, then transfers that heat to pool water flowing through a heat exchanger.
Heat pumps are slow — they raise water temperature by about 0.25-0.5°F per hour in a 15,000-gallon pool. Heating from 70°F to 85°F takes 30-60 hours — roughly 1.5-2.5 days of continuous operation.
The trade-off for that slowness is efficiency. Heat pumps don't burn fuel — they move existing heat, which uses far less energy. The coefficient of performance (COP) for a quality heat pump is 5-6, meaning for every unit of electricity consumed, 5-6 units of heat are delivered to the pool.
Installation Cost
Heat pump unit: $2,500-5,000 depending on BTU rating and brand.
| BTU Rating | Pool Size | Unit Cost |
|---|---|---|
| 80,000 BTU | Up to 15,000 gal | $2,500-3,500 |
| 120,000 BTU | Up to 20,000 gal | $3,500-4,500 |
| 140,000 BTU | Up to 30,000 gal | $4,000-5,000 |
Installation labor and materials: $500-1,500. Similar to gas heater plumbing, plus a dedicated 240V electrical circuit from the sub-panel. Heat pumps draw 30-50 amps and require a dedicated breaker and appropriately sized wiring.
Electrical upgrade (if needed): If your sub-panel doesn't have capacity for the additional 240V circuit, an electrician may need to upgrade the panel or run new wiring from the main panel. Cost: $300-1,000.
No gas line needed. This is a meaningful cost savings for Murphy homes without existing gas infrastructure at the equipment pad.
Total heat pump installation: $3,000-6,500.
Operating Cost
Heat pumps use electricity, which is metered by Oncor and charged through your retail electricity provider.
- Cost per hour of operation: approximately $0.50-1.00/hour (at $0.12-0.14/kWh)
- Cost to heat a 15,000-gallon pool from 70°F to 85°F: approximately $25-45 (but takes 30-60 hours)
Monthly operating cost for maintaining 85°F during shoulder season: approximately $80-150/month. This is comparable to gas heater weekend-only use — but the heat pump maintains the temperature continuously at this cost, while the gas heater would cost $300-600/month for the same continuous heating.
The efficiency advantage: A heat pump maintaining a constant pool temperature costs roughly 40-60% less per month than a gas heater doing the same thing. The more you use the heater, the more the heat pump saves.
The Temperature Limitation
Heat pumps extract heat from the air. When outdoor air temperature drops below 50°F, the heat pump's efficiency drops dramatically — there's simply not enough heat in cold air to transfer to the pool. Below 45°F, most residential heat pumps effectively stop producing useful heat.
For Murphy, this means heat pumps work well from March through November — the months when you'd actually want to swim. During December through February, when air temperatures regularly drop into the 30s and 40s, a heat pump can't maintain comfortable pool temperatures.
This isn't a problem for most Murphy homeowners because nobody is swimming in December anyway. The heat pump covers the shoulder season (March-May, September-November) effectively, and the peak summer months (June-August) don't need heating at all.
If you specifically want to heat for rare winter swimming or hot tub use in January, a gas heater is the only option.
The Decision for Murphy Homeowners
Choose gas if:
- You heat on-demand (weekends, parties, guests visiting)
- You need rapid heating (same-day temperature change)
- Your property already has a gas line at the equipment pad
- You want winter heating capability (December-February)
- Budget for installation is the priority (lower upfront cost)
Choose a heat pump if:
- You want to maintain a constant pool temperature throughout the shoulder season
- You prefer lower monthly operating costs over lower installation costs
- Your property doesn't have gas infrastructure at the equipment pad (avoiding gas line cost)
- You'll use the pool regularly during spring and fall (not just occasional weekends)
- You're comfortable with slower heat-up times (plan ahead rather than heat on demand)
The hybrid option: Some homeowners install both — a heat pump for continuous shoulder-season heating and a small gas heater for rapid boost when needed. This is the premium approach but provides maximum flexibility. The heat pump maintains a baseline temperature (say, 78°F), and the gas heater boosts to 85°F on demand when guests arrive.
Ready to extend your Murphy pool season? Hydra Pool Services installs and maintains both gas and heat pump heaters across Murphy, Frisco, Plano, McKinney, Allen, Parker, and The Colony. Get a heater quote →